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Obituary - David Hass, Director, Office of Judicial Education

David Hass, who served more than 16 years as director of the Office of Judicial Education for the Wisconsin Supreme Court died after apparently suffering a heart attack on Aug. 28.

Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson joined judges, clerks of circuit court and court staff throughout the state in honoring Hass and the work he did for the entire state court system.

“Dave had his own style. He was casual and had a great sense of humor. Yet, he was among the best at his profession. Hundreds, if not thousands, of Wisconsin municipal, circuit court and appellate judges benefited from his work over the years, as did other legal professionals and court staff. We admired him and will miss him and his talent,” Abrahamson said.

As head of the Office of Judicial Education, Hass helped develop and deliver with his staff educational programming at the annual Wisconsin Judicial College and the Annual Judicial Conference, and a variety of institutes and workshops. The Office of Judicial Education also prepares and updates a series of bench-books, which are used to help guide judges on the law and handling of cases.

Prior to joining the Wisconsin Court System, David worked for eight years with the Michigan Judicial Institute, where he managed more than 200 continuing education programs delivered to more than 8,000 participants. Prior to that, he worked with the Berrien County (Michigan) Probate Courts, first as a probation officer and then management roles in case processing, probation services and community placement services.